Category Archives: Blog

This is the easiest recipe for a quick weeknight meal. A couple chicken breasts and a jar of salsa, on low for 6 hours in a slow cooker. Shred the chicken and serve with whatever other toppings you want.

I love that this is so easy to build into the weeknight dinner routine. I like that you can vary the taste just by using different kinds of salsa as well. I like mine a little on the spicy and smoky side but, I do enjoy trying all different kinds here.

Most times I’ll serve this with beans. Last night we went “light” with tacos only, and it was more than enough for dinner.

This is my favorite slow-cooker chili. Yeah, yeah, it has beans. So what, I like beans in my chili. I threw some olives on top but it didn’t need them. And yes, that’s a nice bed of Fritos on the bottom.

I made a reference, during a conversation this week, to Janice’s line (above, in video) and no one got it. There are only a select few people that do get this when I use it. I think it’s hilarious, especially since it’s spoken by a Muppet. And especially because it’s Janice.

My job is as easy, and enjoyable, as it is because I have a really, really good team. I am so grateful for what they bring to the table each and every day.

The more that I explore and discover things around this city, the more comfortable and happy I feel that we are living here. Sure, it wasn’t always like this but, what is being done recently is very cool. Lately, I love just driving around downtown and taking note of all of the places I want to eventually stop in to see.

February is going way too fast for my liking.

I experienced a few examples, this past week, where just slowing down to take the time to communicate more thoroughly and more clearly saved our group from a lot of issues that would have made things worse. Slowing down to communicate better is something I want to do more of.

Read

Welcome to the Goddam Ice Cube, by Blair Braverman – Combine dogs, dogsledding, and a central character learning how to work with and do both. This is a very enjoyable read.

I’m not sure how I stumbled on Blair’s twitter feed but, it’s currently my favorite follow on that site. I think it’s the stories about the dogs’ personalities and quirks that get me.

There was a span in my pre-teens when I was obsessed with Jack London’s books (and the movie The Journey of Natty Gan). I think that Blair’s stories, and the life that she shares with us, taps into that for me.

Watched

My 600-lb Life, S7 E6 – It’s not a “mind-blowing” revelation but, I am always fascinated by these types of shows because it is hard for me to imagine what life is like for them. I process the shows (perhaps oversimplifying with my limited psych 101) believing that their physical weight is a direct reflection of the emotional/mental weight they carry. And even though we only get an “edited for TV drama” version, I find it eye-opening to see what they are going through. I don’t watch this show regularly (just on occasion when there really isn’t anything else I want to watch). Lacey’s story was captivating for me.

I was curious about what data iTunes is tracking on my listening habits. Not for privacy reasons, more for sheer curiosity. I love looking through my “Most played” list. I seem to go to the same artists over and over again.

Two artists that appear near the top are Ana Tijoux and Mala Rodriguez. I mostly listen to them while working. I also like to listen to them when I travel. Sometimes, I’ll write small scenes to their music as a writing exercise.

About 50% of the time, I lose track (can’t keep up with translating in my head) of what they’re saying but, I never really tire of listening to my Ana Tijoux/Mala Rodriguez playlist.

Ana’s “Vengo” album is so, so good. It’s one of the few albums (in my entire music collection) that I enjoy listening to it from start to finish.

Mala’s music at its best is intense (I love “33” for this reason). It scares me a little bit. It’s raw and fierce but, feels honest.